Citizens must join the battle against corruption

Thailand is ranked 76th among 168 countries and territories around the world in the 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International. That compares with in 85th in 2014, 102nd in 2013, 88th in 2012, 80th in 2011, and 78th in 2010.

It might be surprising that the country’s corruption ranking has improved for two consecutive years under the post-coup government. That’s not good news for critics of the military, but for the country as a whole this small improvement has provided some hope in the efforts to fight the scourge of corruption.

There must be some factors that helped improve the corruption situation in Thailand. It could be because there was less corruption under this administration, or there was more control over it by both government officials and bureaucrats. 

Certainly we cannot be reliant only on the administration or its measures to fight corruption. They have their limitations and there are some corrupt elements among the military as well. The bribery controversy involving the Army’s Rajabhakti Park has tainted the image of this administration, even as it insists that any irregularities involving the park have nothing to do with the current government.

For critics, the Rajabhakti controversy seemed so shocking and shameful that they overlooked the damage caused to the country by some of the huge corruption scandals involving their favourite politicians of the past. To be fair, all corruption cases should be treated equally, regardless of the extent of the damage. But it would be unfair to target only irregularities committed by people from the rival camp. 

In Thailand’s recent political history, it was often the widespread perception of corruption in government that led to thousands of protesters taking to the streets. And corruption is also blamed for the political conflict that has gripped Thailand for more than a decade, during which two military coups were staged, supposedly to avert clashes between the conflicting sides.

Irregularities in government are committed by both bureaucrats and politicians in power (locally and nationally). But corruption among politicians can cost taxpayers dearly. And it may be more difficult to tackle, because those people are often protected by supporters who also benefit while the corrupt politicians remain in power.

Such politicians, backed by corrupt bureaucrats and local administrators, have started corrupting the mindset of the people. According to some surveys, few people saw anything wrong with corruption as long as they got a share of the ill-gotten gains. Corrupt politicians tend to corrupt their supporters by cultivating greed in them. Direct buying of votes, such as payments made through electronic transfers, is only one of the ways to gain support. Politicians use other methods to maintain supporter loyalty, such as by organising all-expenses-paid “educational trips” (funded by taxpayers’ money) for their canvassers and community leaders who can influence voters. 

 Much more needs to be done if the country is to become less corrupt. We cannot expect corruption to vanish entirely, and neither an elected civilian government nor a military dictatorship can achieve much on its own. There are always elements in the halls of power where greed and corruption lurk – whether placed there through an election or following a coup. 

We, the citizens, cannot just rely on the rulers to tackle the problem of corruption. First, we need to be aware that corruption is a cancer on our country. The mindset that corruption is acceptable if we too benefit, or if only your politicians of choice indulge, will leave the country mired in this problem for a long time to come.

Every one of us can do our bit by rejecting corrupt politicians and preventing them from getting re-elected.